Exhibition in Limoges

I had a telephone call yesterday afternoon that really surprised me.
Well the story is, we have an exhibition at the Chambre des metiérs in Limoges, at the gallery which is next door, it runs from the 2nd December through to the end of the month, so it had been open to the public for just 2 days.
The telephone call was to ask for more stock, they had already sold 13 of the 20 angel bookmarks I had made for the event, and they needed more Christmas cards, they had a stock of 130 cards, and they need more and that is in only 2 days!!!! I couldn't believe it, I am so excited.
So I made 10 last night and I still have another 10 to make before tomorrow morning, when my husband will deliver them.We also have an open day at home tomorrow, and then on Sunday we are doing a Christmas market in Le Dorat, so we are going to be so busy.

craft fair

Well after having thrown my dummy out of the pram, I am now doing a craft fair this Saturday at La Maison Bleu!
It's a long story but now I have to knit my fingers to the bone and make some more wrist warmers, they are quite long with a cable up the front, and come up to just below the elbow and look lovely, I would put some pics on, only my camera died and we are in the process of finding another one.
I have 4 pairs completed and would like to do at least another 2 pairs. (I had already taken 2 pairs to another shop just yesterday).
I will also be taking some scarves, hats, angel bookmarks, Christmas decorations, and of cours Christmas cards, and anything else I can fit on a 1 meter square table! Not much room but I will artfully arrange it all and hopefully it won't look too squashed.

I am also doing some shorter fingerless gloves so hopefully they will be quicker to make, and I'm hoping I can get a couple of pairs of them done too, well I can always take them with me and knit whilst I'm there, it makes for interesting conversations and people seem more interested if you are doing something instead of just sitting there looking hopeful!

The window display is doing well, and already we have had to send more packs of Christmas cards round to Jim and Jill at Vettriano's and there has been a lot of interest in the other things displayed there.

run up to Christmas

I have been so busy with the run up to Christmas, we have so many events on I can't keep up.
I have been knitting wrist warmers, hats and scarves and I still have loads to do.

We have an exhibition for the whole of December at the Chambre des Metiers in Limoges, a shop window display, which we did at the beginning of November and will be running until January, in Bellac, as well as all the craft fairs and Christmas markets we are doing.
I am just about knitted out, well..... not quite, I do love knitting.
I am no longer doing key rings because I made so many I am sick of the sight of them, so hopefully they will all sell.

I just have one major problem, my camera died and I need to invest in a new one that will take the picture without me having to be a photographer, I am a bit of an ameture where pictures are concerned, basically I'm rubbish at taking photo's!!!!!!!!
I have loads of stock to list in my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5536123 and I can't because I don't have any pictures, so I'm a little fraustrated to say the least.

I really must learn how to add links underneath little words, I have it in an email somewhere which someone kindly sent me, but it's lost and I can't find it. Oh well.

great find

Thanks to my friend Penny I found this great site http://www.yarndex.com/
if you need to find a certain yarn it's fantastic!
I spent ages on the site it's amazing, it lists all the yarns by brand, name, weight, fiber, texture and more. I only wish I had found it years ago.

Still working on it

I have managed to find out how to create a pdf, adobe reader has a wonderful program that turns files into pdf automatically, so I am working on 5 patterns for now to see how they look, and I will try and put some on here as soon as I can.

Other than that we have a delivery of 1,500 pairs of shoes coming this afternoon, which we have to carry up 3 flights of stairs, so I won't be doing anything else today. This is another new venture.

I am also sock mad, I started knitting socks less than a year ago and I love making them, everybody will be getting a pair for Christmas!
I am in the process of designing a pair, but it's still work in progress, so watch this space for the finished article.

Time for a change

OK I have been away forever and it's now time to revamp my blog, I have really neglected it.

I fully intend to add some of my knitting patterns at some point so it will be more of a knitting blog than anything else, I will throw in a little jewelry from time to time, trouble is my little one won't let me make much at the moment, but he will let me knit Yay!

This is one of the sweaters that I have managed to knit for my son, (not one of mine), this pattern is available on Ravelry for free, it's the child's placket-neck pullover and here is the link
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/childs-placket-neck-pullover

If you haven't joined Ravelry yet then I strongly suggest that you do, it's full of great resources and helpful advice, as well as hundreds of patterns, it only takes a few days to get your invitation so go to the site and register http://www.ravelry.com/

I have been working on some new designs and I thought it was time to start sharing some of them, so watch this space for some of my patterns.

I would also like to learn how to make pdf's and how to link paypal to my blog, so if anyone can help me with resources that would be a great help to me.

Knitted Toys and missing camera!

I have decided to have a go at some knitted toys, I have never really liked doing them in the past as they have so many little pieces, and then the dreaded sewing up bit, (which I really hate), but I wanted to try out some new things for selling on our market stall, aimed at kids with pocket money to spend, especially with the summer holidays coming up and tourists in their hundreds coming for a holiday in sunny France.

So I did a practice bunny for my 18 month old son and I really like the way it turned out, it's not perfect, and there's room for improvement, and I may have to make some alterations to the pattern, but it's really cute. I have just started on a teddy which will be bright orange.

I would post some pictures of them but the camera seems to have gone missing! It's not in any of the usual places and I don't know where else to look. Hmmm maybe my hubby took it with him to his market today, I hope so or else we have a camera thief in the house, maybe it was that stray cat we fed for a few days!

knitting socks

I have been really busy knitting, I have become fascinated with making socks! So in between knitting all my bags I now have to make time to knit socks as well.
I made a pair for my daughter a couple of months ago, and have been meaning to make myself a pair the same. Well they are almost done, and now I have ordered some sock yarn with a new pattern, the wool is an opal sock yarn called crazy, which will look a little bit more interesting than the ones here, it makes a pattern all by itself and all I have to do is knit, how cool is that!. I am really enjoying it, it makes a nice change from bags.

I also managed to spend 150€ on wool for my bags this week, I bought a kilo of yarn and some!!!!! So I now have lots of colours to play around with, I just need to create a new pattern for a small bag and I'm away.

Other things going on the last couple of weeks, well yes quite a few, one of which is that I have been painting for a friend of mine, she has just had work completed on the upstairs of her house and I have been painting it for her, I have really enjoyed doing it, one room is completed and the other is still work in progress, she is going to the UK for 10 days, so I won't be doing any more until she comes back.
This is my youngest son Sébastien, and he's been poorly again, this is the 3rd time in 6 weeks that his glands have swollen up, he has an ear infection and a sore throat poor little fellow.

Free Shipping

Ok so I decided to jump on the self promotional band wagon and offer Free Shipping until the end of March......That's a $5 saving on most items in my store
So why not take a look and see if anything grabs your attention while the offer is on.

OK so that's the sale pitch over, I don't know if it will increase my sales or not, but it's worth a shot, it's been pretty slow since I opened my store in January and I'm hoping that the free shipping will pay off.

I am also knitting bags like crazy for spring and summer. Here in France we have the spring fairs starting at the end of March and I want to get as much stock together as I can manage, so I have 2 bags ready to sew up, 4 need the handles knitting, and another one on the go, so I have been really busy. My hands are paying for it though, boy do they ache!

A few of my favourites on Etsy

This is something I've been meaning to do for ages, this is my first favorite item and it's by BeaG she does the most amazing key chain holders that are so useful, this one is a
keychain cell phone holder
She also does lip balm holders, shown in the picture, coin holders, even inhaler holders, they are so ingenious.
She sells pdf's of some of the items, if you want to have a go at making your own.

Bag for my niece

Well I finally got some pictures done and after 3 attempts of downloading them into different folders, I actually found them! Woohoo!
I made this bag for my great niece who will be 6 next week, so I must hurry and get it in the mail so it arrives in time.
I had a little woven straw bag with flowers on it when I was little, so this bag was designed with that in mind.

I use 2 strands of yarn throughout to give the bag some strength, it then doesn't need lining as it is quite a tight weave, the handles are made by knitting i-cord which is a bit fiddly but well worth the effort, in fact the i-cord takes almost as long to knit as the bag!
The bag is knitted in the round so there are no seams to sew up, which is a bonus for me as it's my least favorite part of knitting. The top edge is made using a picot row and then folded over to get the nice effect around the rim, otherwise it looks a bit not finised off.
I added flowers to this one as it's for a little girl, but would still be suitable for an adult who likes fun accessories, the flowers are really easy and take about 3 minutes to make and I think they give it a finished off look.

The purple bag without the flowers, will be added to my store today, I also have done a larger version which is a shoulder bag with longer handles and is more practical for an everyday bag.

I really love making these bags as they are so easy to make, they just take a little time, but I spend most of my evenings knitting, and most of my mornings sewing them up and making the i-cord.

The small bags take around 4 hours to knit, and the larger bags take around 6 hours, so it's time well spent while I'm watching something on the tv.

Featured Seller TranquilityKnots

Recently I bought a key chain, not just any old key chain, a really beautiful Red PanChang Knot Key Chain made by TranquilityKnots
This is made using the ancient art of Chinese knotting which dates back thousands of years, well it got my curiosity going and I wanted to know more so I have been doing a little research, Chinese knotted designs include symbolism, tradition and storytelling.




The two pictures are both designs of the Pan Chang Knot both made by TranquilityKnots, who joined Etsy in January 2008 and has been successfully selling ever since, I love her jewelry and decorative items, the colours are just beautiful and the work she does is simply stunning.

I will let her tell you the rest here is her bio, as she puts it better than I could.

"I always loved all types of chinese folk art while growing up, but chinese knotting is my true passion. It's all started several years ago when my mom bought me a wonderful birthday gift, a set of chinese knotting books and a bag of gorgeous cords and beads. I fell in love with it right then, and found myself making beautiful knots non-stop ever since. I love the fact that I can let my mind run freely and creatively, and then watch my new designs come to life. I have been sharing my creation with friends and family over the years, and now I am sharing it with you."

"Chinese knot is an ancient art form dating back to Tang and Song Dynasties, maybe even earlier. Culturally, they are expected to ward off evil spirits and act as good-luck charms. There are 12 basic knots, and by mixing them cleverly, you will get all the advanced knots and fabulous results. One major characteristic of this decorative knotwork is that all the knots are tied using one thread! Many types of thread can be used, however, satin or silk cord is the most common. Threads can come in a variety of colors, though the most commonly used is red, because red symbolizes good luck and prosperity."

"My designs are a combination of traditional and modern taste. Most beads or pendants used in my jewelry are chinese porcelain beads, however I do use gemstones, swarovski crystals, pearl, wood or metal or glass beads too. Every piece is designed and handmade by me, so it will be truly one-of-a-kind.
The reason I named my store “Tranquility Knots” is because that is how I feel when I making them or even staring at them. I hope my creation can bring you and your family good luck and peace too."

Photo hell

I am having a real problem taking photo's of my bags, I just can't seem to get them right, I really wanted to put up some pictures, but every time I get out the camera and take some pics, they just look really flat and uninteresting, so I am making it my mission for tomorrow to be creative and take some really great pictures.

That's not my only problem, once I've taken my photo's and download them onto the pc, I can't find them again, and then I have to wait for my husband to come in and search for them!
I really do need to get a bit more technically minded.

One a day

I failed already, I didn't get chance to post yesterday as I was ultra busy and didn't get a chance to get on the pc, except for to check my emails and shop!

I had a customer here to design her some wedding jewelery, we managed to get her bridesmaid bracelet sorted out which will be lovely and I will post pictures when it's done.
We didn't really decide exactly what she would be having as she was not quite sure, she wants something simple and elegant which doesn't distract the eye from the dress, I have something in mind but will wait until she has had a little more time to think about it first.

Also last night was the first night of getting my 16 month old to go to sleep by himself. It went surprisingly well, he was asleep within 25 minutes and went down for his nap this morning with no problem and he was asleep within 5 minutes, so fingers crossed it will continue. I have used the controlled crying method, where I go back and check on him every 10 minutes until he is asleep.

Just giving my blog some love

I'm not really very good at keeping my blog up to date, I never seem to get the time, so I am going to try and post something everyday, even if it's just my ramblings, which I do quite often anyway, and sometimes get very carried away!

I have been really busy knitting, I have completed 4 bags all except the handles which I make in i-cord, which is pretty slow going as they need to be around 6 feet long.
One of the bags is for Jessica, my great neice, who will be 6 in a couple of weeks, so I really need to get it finished. I am also making some knitted flowers to sew on to the front of it, it looks really pretty so far so I hope she likes it.

I have also had my order of rings for making chainmaille jewelry, I have made a sterling silver Trizantine weave bracelet for my friends son, luckily he's only got a little wrist as it took 138 rings to make it to 6", but it looks wonderful, it's the first time I have done this weave, I found it a little tricky to start with and had to undo and redo it twice before I finally got it right.
I have also just started to do a stainless steel byzantine 3 weave for my husband, it's tough going and makes my hands ache, so I do a little at a time, can't afford to damage my hands as then I won't be able to do any knitting!

Pinkdoodle another place to sell

I joined pinkdoodle, it's similar to Etsy only it's in the UK, another place to buy and sell all things handmade.
Listing is free until March 5th and after then it's only 5 pence per item with 6 picture slots and the listing is on there for 4 months, they take 3% when you sell an item, so overall it's another great place to promote yourselves.
It's still in the early days with little problems popping up now and again, which are solved pretty quickly, but it's worth taking a look.
Anybody, anywhere in the world can set up a shop, which is really easy, only it's in £££££ and not $$$$$, so it may take some of you some getting used to.
Anyway it's worth a shot so take a look and see what you think.

Oh no I've been tagged!!!!!!

Sh** I've been tagged, I only just recently heard about tagging and now I'm it.
Thanks to Wax Dribbles & Melt Pools (thanks) I have to share 7 facts about myself

1. I am originally from the UK but I now live in France, have done for almost 4 years.
2. I had my son, now 16 months old, when I was 40.
3. I just love growing my own veggies.
4. I hate mustard.
5. I try my hardest to practice the principals of "The Secret".
6. A phrase I use often is, and my kids hate it "nobody ever said life was fair".
7. I go to bed really early and read.

Here are the 7 people I am tagging

The Banner Queen
A field Journal
Titled Unnecessarily
artgirx studio
timothy adam designs
Trainers in Nightclubs-ordinary beauty
Indie Finds on Etsy

Here’s the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

new bags

Well I have been really busy knitting new bags, I have done 3 in the last 3 days, so I'm really pleased, although I have yet to sew them up!!!!
I love the knitting part but just hate the sewing up, so that's my job for today.
I really love doing these bags they are so quick to knit, I use 3 strands of yarn for thickness and strength, and the colors can be all the same or all different, giving them each a unique look.
I have taken a couple of pictures of work in progress and the finished bags will be put in my etsy store later today or tomorrow.I also received my copper toggles for the chainmaille bracelets that I made, I ordered them from hodgepodgerie she made them herself and they are lovely, I'm really pleased with them so thanks Stacy.
This bracelet will also be listed in my store.

Another sleepless night "sigh"

My little one keeps waking up at the most outrageous hour, and frankly I'm getting too old for this, but don't tell anyone. So while I'm wide awake at 3.15am this morning, I start thinking about my blog of all things, and all the things I have to do today, and I nearly, I said nearly, got up when I realised how much I had to do. Well how much have I got done? Nada! Nothing! Rien! Zilch!

5.45am I got up.
First I had a cup of tea, then I had another, and then as I was still not quite awake I started on the coffee, so by this time it's getting on for 7am and Daniel 16 and Tasmin 14 are getting ready for school, my little one Sébastien who is 16 months old is happily playing and entertaining himself, why he can't do that while in his cot I don't know, I am just coming out of my zombie state, I must add at this point that the night time waking has been going on for about 2 weeks now so it's wearing thin!

7.30am wave kids off to school, wave hubby off to work, and turn on pc, mistake number 1, as we all know, once the pc is on I have to check etsy, my blog, and while I was at it signed up for Indiepublic, and had to spend a little time on there to find my way round didn't I????

Ok Ok now it's 9.30am and Sébastien needs a nap so I get showered and dressed and do a little rummaging around to make it look like I've actually done something, in fact what I actually did was wash the breakfast pots!!!!
I ran to the supermarket, came back and started dinner, hubby and Tasmin home for lunch, served lunch, hubby washed up, now it's 2pm and everyones gone again and I'm back on the pc!!!!
The day is almost over (OK so now I'm being paranoid) and I have still done nothing that I should have :( Oh dear I really must do something, but the way I look at it, I am doing something useful, I'm networking! So the day has not gone to waste at all, I have people who have looked at my Indiepublic and added a couple of friends, they have checked out my etsy store and I have checked out theirs, now I feel so much better.

I do really need to replace some jewelry though, as we have yet another new outlet and stock is going down, so I must go now and try and get something made.

Etsy

Have you ever heard of Etsy? Etsy is a place to buy and sell all things handmade, there are some truly wonderful things, and some truly talented people, so it really is worth a look.
Come and see my etsy shop www.bijouxboutique.etsy.com

finally blogging

Well I finally did it, I got myself a blog!!!
So where do I begin?
I am in the middle of my new craft, which is chainmaille, I just love making it and it looks so pretty. I have to be careful as it's so addictive.
This is my first piece and it will be a bracelet, I'm just waiting for my copper toggle and bail to arrive and then I will put it in my etsy shop.